Overwhelmed? Let's Talk Organization!

Organization is a major issue for a lot of people.  I'm not exception.  I'm working very hard at organizing some things in my life,  but I can tell you right now,  it's not easy.  

Organization covers alot of ground.  It applies to lots of different aspects of our lives.  Things that we need to organize in order not to feel overwhelmed can include all sorts of things - for example -

• Kitchen
• Closets
• Daily Chores
• Computer Files
• Garage
• Collections (in my case my cookbook collection)
• Offices

And the list could go on and on.  But the problem is, we only have so many hours in a day.  So we pick and choose what we choose to work on.  And we stick to those choices and see it thru.

Last year I went thru all my closets (except Mr. Brown Eye's).  One closet a week.  All items taken out, gone thru.  Some stuff donated, some stuff moved to another location, some stuff just tossed in trash.  Deciding what I needed, what I didn't was a major chore.  But I did it.  It's not just about our household organization but our genealogy space organization. So I also did my office closet and desk.

Whether you have a room you call an office or whether you have a corner desk in the living room for your genealogy, organization is a major issue.  There is nothing worse, at least to me, to go to a major repository to research, make a MAJOR find, go to type it in your computer data base only to discover its ALREADY THERE!!!!!!!!!    And I know that you've done that.  We all have.  Because we haven't taken the time to stop digging long enough to dig ourselves out of the mess & clutter we call our "office" or "genealogy desk".    If we stopped researching, just for a week or two, and took the time to get rid of the piles of papers, the clutter, the mass of disorganization, what a difference it would make in your productivity.  Yes, I know its hard!  

Just think if your desk wasn't covered in piles of paper you could have a list of exactly what you want to search for.  Then when you have 15 minutes to sit down and research, you'll know exactly what you want to look and where!  It would make such a difference in how you see things.  With a decluttered desk you won't feel so overwhelmed. 

There is a Facebook page for genealogy organization, "The Organized Genealogist".  It is a closed group, meaning you will have to ask to be included.  Keep in mind that reading all the posts can be very overwhelming.  But there is alot there, with the focus being on organizing your genealogy.  No genealogy surnames or such allowed.  Great group. 

So what will you take time to organize this week?  Have you recently reorganized your genealogy space?  Do you wish you had done it sooner?